Kiss' Paul Stanley Slammed For Twitter Rant On Gender-Affirming Care
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley shared his unprompted “thoughts” on gender-affirming care for minors in a lengthy social media post on Sunday ― and immediately faced backlash for mischaracterizing it as a “game.”
The singer and guitarist shared his message on Twitter and Instagram, attacking parents for “normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle” that he claimed is confusing children about their identities.
Besides inaccurately describing a person’s gender identity as a “lifestyle,” Stanley’s rant used several other false tropes that are commonly meant to delegitimize trans identities, including a reference to “play[ing] dress up” and conflating gender with sex and sexuality.
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 30, 2023
Several Twitter users slammed Stanley for his post, including Keith Olbermann, who scolded the rock star for referring to gender-affirming care for minors as a “game.”
“It’s not a ‘game,’ you asshole. What you do is a GAME. What they face ― internally and now externally due to stupid panicky fascists like you, externally ― is an excruciating ordeal,” Olbermann wrote.
It's not a "game," you asshole. What you do is a GAME. What they face - internally and now externally due to stupid panicky fascists like you, externally - is an excruciating ordeal.
— Keith Olbermann↙️ (@KeithOlbermann) April 30, 2023
Other musicians, including Offspring guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman, pointed out that Kiss’ wardrobe famously toyed with gender norms.
“This is a very disappointing take, especially from someone who wore high-heels, makeup, & teased up hair his whole career,” Wasserman wrote. “As a young kid your band helped teach me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I guess it was just gimmickry after all.”
This is a very disappointing take, especially from someone who wore high-heels, makeup, & teased up hair his whole career. As a young kid your band helped teach me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I guess it was just gimmickry after all. #thatsashame
— Noodles 🍜🎸🤓 (@TheGnudz) April 30, 2023
NBC News senior reporter Ben Collins also noted Stanley’s hypocrisy given the band’s aesthetic choices. Read his and other comments below:
The idea of KISS (!) of all bands complaining about gender nonconforming people is just... chef's kiss. https://t.co/1Xspg2VRbI
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 30, 2023
I agree, children should only be dressing like this. pic.twitter.com/YsUjBVXVmt
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 30, 2023
Paul Stanley pontificating about adults 'normalising and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle' as if everyone over 45 didn't spend the 80s watching him posture about his sexuality like this, the unforgettably cringe interview in Decline of Western Civilization Part 2 https://t.co/fjd9AkVrMxpic.twitter.com/PiROSqQabG
— Tabitha McIntosh (@TabitaSurge) April 30, 2023
Aren’t you in a band of drag queens? I mean, a drag Queen band is cool and all, but you shouldn’t be such a transphobe.
— Darren Read (@dreadwokeguy) April 30, 2023
No one is leading a child down a path to gender reassignment surgery because they like to play dress up.
Did anyone do that to you as an adult? pic.twitter.com/Di4GCmE1rR— Jo 🌻 (@JoJoFromJerz) April 30, 2023
This is really disappointing. You’re assuming a significant portion of parents are engaged in “some sort of game, ” as though the vast majority aren’t making serious, loving, supportive decisions based on knowing their kids. I encourage you to look more deeply.
— Heller not Heather (@hlandecker) April 30, 2023
